Fantasy: 7 players who are a year away

Get ready for your season with theScore's 2018 Fantasy Football Draft Kit.

It's important for fantasy managers who are in both dynasty and re-draft leagues to keep the formats, and values of players involved, separate.

Here's a look at seven players with plenty of potential and high ceilings for dynasty purposes, but they'll likely require one more year of development before becoming significant re-draft fantasy assets.

Lamar Jackson, QB, Ravens

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Through two weeks of NFL preseason action, it's still difficult to predict how many rookie quarterbacks will be starters to open the 2018 season. All first-year pivots should be off the fantasy radar in standard leagues until their potential debuts.

While the Ravens have said they'll try to find ways to get Lamar Jackson on the field in 2018, his snaps will likely come through gadget plays. Joe Flacco is locked in as the incumbent starter, and veteran Robert Griffin III could be next in line following an injury after signing a one-year deal this offseason.

The Ravens will have an easier time escaping Flacco's contract following the upcoming season, either through a trade or release. Jackson's dual-threat style leads to a high fantasy ceiling, but managers should wait for the team to hand him the reins to the offense.

D'Onta Foreman, RB, Texans

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D'Onta Foreman was just beginning to rise as a rookie in 2017 before suffering a season-ending injury in Week 11. He rushed for a season-high 65 yards and two touchdowns on 10 carries in the final game of his debut campaign.

Now, the sophomore could miss the start of 2018, as he's still on the physically unable to perform list due to the ruptured Achilles suffered last November.

The seriousness and uncertainty of the injury hampers his fantasy expectations. When he returns, Foreman might not be running at top speed and performing with his full skill set. He'll also be splitting work with veteran Lamar Miller, who has posted four consecutive seasons with 1,000-plus yards from scrimmage.

The Texans can release Miller at the end of 2018 and incur a dead-cap penalty of just $1 million while saving $6.25 million. That may happen if Foreman returns to form.

Corey Coleman, WR, Bills

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The trade that sent Corey Coleman from the Cleveland Browns to the Bills will likely give him more opportunities. However, Friday's injury to Buffalo's hopeful starting quarterback AJ McCarron further muddies Coleman's outlook for 2018.

Fantasy managers should be waiting for one of McCarron, Josh Allen, or Nathan Peterman to emerge and stabilize the Bills' quarterback situation before investing in any of the team's receivers, which should happen before the 2018 season ends. Coleman's stock could soar in 2019, which is when current Bills No. 1 receiver Kelvin Benjamin might be playing elsewhere after his contract expires.

Courtland Sutton, WR, Broncos

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Courtland Sutton will likely open the season as the Broncos' third option at receiver behind Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders.

Signing Case Keenum this offseason significantly upgraded the team at quarterback, boosting the fantasy value of every Broncos pass-catching option in the process. But Sutton still likely won't get enough targets to be a viable fantasy asset.

He could, however, rise up Denver's depth chart after a salary-cap crunch in the offseason. Releasing Thomas will save the Broncos $14 million in 2019, and cutting Sanders will free up $10.25 million while creating just $2.7 million in dead cap space.

Kalen Ballage, RB, Dolphins

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Kalen Ballage, a fourth-round pick in April, could be the Dolphins' future lead running back, but he'll likely spend the 2018 campaign serving as the third option behind Kenyan Drake and Frank Gore.

Drake amassed 644 rushing yards on 133 attempts in his sophomore season while adding 239 yards as a pass-catcher. And while Gore averaged just 3.7 yards per carry in 2017 and might be past his prime at 35 years old, he can still handle a sizable workload and has logged three straight 260-plus carry seasons.

Ballage could emerge from the committee this season, but he'll have a much easier path next year. Gore is signed for just the upcoming season, and Drake's rookie deal expires at the end of 2019. Should the Dolphins choose to move on from Gore after a single season, they could use 2019 to determine who to go with for the long term between Drake and Ballage, providing both with ample work.

Jonathan Williams, RB, Saints

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It's unclear how the Saints' backfield workload will be split during Mark Ingram's four-game suspension to open the 2018 season. Alvin Kamara will lead the group, but the team has said his role won't expand. That leaves Jonathan Williams, Shane Vereen, and Boston Scott competing for spots in a committee behind Kamara.

Regardless of how well Williams performs during Ingram's absence, he'll likely go back to the bench upon the veteran's return.

Ingram's contract expires at the end of 2018, however, and Kamara's excellence will likely deter the Saints from paying him what he's worth. Should Williams, the Bills' fifth-round pick in 2016, impress in the first quarter of the season, he could earn the chance to replace Ingram next year at a significantly cheaper price, or even get a larger role with another team in free agency.

Jaylen Samuels, RB, Steelers

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Le'Veon Bell said he'll report to the Steelers before the 2018 season opener, which means Jaylen Samuels and sophomore James Conner will have little fantasy value.

Samuels was selected with the 165th overall pick in the 2018 draft, while Conner was a third-round pick in 2017. If the Steelers move on from Bell after a second consecutive franchise tag and the team doesn't sign another free agent, Samuels and Conner will likely form a committee.

Samuels was used significantly as a pass-catcher at North Carolina State (1,851 receiving yards over four seasons), a skill likely to tip the fantasy scales in his favor for 2019.